Falcons among 27 rare birds released into the wild in Farah

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): A Qatari charity organization on Monday released 27 rare and endangered birds into the wild in western Farah province to increase their populations.

The birds released included falcons, Shaheen falcons, hawks and eagles by Al-Gharafa charity organisation’s head Sheikh Ali Al-Sani in Kafar Qala area of Farah City, the provincial capital.

Farah education director Eng. Manan Matin told Pajhwok Afghan News the charity organization would release another 150 rare birds next Thursday in Farah. He said the organization had brought some of the birds from Qatar and had reared others in Farah.

The Qatari organization would release each year from 500 to 1000 birds under agreement with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection Agency.

Under the agreement, the Qatari organization would increase the population of the rare birds, but they could hunt down 30 percent of the birds as well.

For the past few years, Arab nationals have been visiting Afghanistan, particularly Farah province, for hunting birds in defiance of a ban imposed in compliance with a presidential decree.

The Qatari organization has carried out a number of welfare projects in Farah and work on some is underway. A newly constructed mosque in Farah City by the Qatari organistion was inaugurated a day earlier.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Farah governor Mohammad Asif Nang said the presence of Arab traders was in the interest of Farah.

He said the Qatari organization had inked agreements with Afghanistan for projects concerning environment protection, agriculture development, residential apartments, all costing $160 million. He said $20 million of the money would be spent in Farah province on agriculture development.